Curtis Wildfong

It was 2008 and the United States was just entering the most dangerous economic crisis since the Great Depression. Chris Breimayer of Belding, an architectural designer in the midst of the housing market collapse, and his brother Pat Breimayer of Greenville, who worked for Delphi, which was going through bankruptcy, were looking for something new to do.

The Education Foundation of Greenville (EFG) launched an endowment campaign in 2009 to assure the funding of performance arts and advanced programs for Greenville students. The group set an initial fundraising goal of $1 million for the OUR3 Capital Campaign. Thanks to a donation from Byron and Dee Cook — the largest single gift the foundation has received — the organization is nearing that goal. The amount of the donation was not made public.

China-based Dicastal North America Inc., the largest aluminum wheel manufacturer in the world, has reached an agreement with the city of Greenville to take over use of the former United Solar Ovanics (USO) buildings and bring 300 jobs to the area.

Working on behalf of downtown business owners, the city Tuesday accepted more than $200,000 in Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) which will be used to give two downtown buildings a facelift. The CDBG grants, which are awarded by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC), are for $203,100 and will be used for facade improvements to the buildings at 300 and 328 S. Lafayette St.

Although Barbara Drake wasn’t born and raised in the Greenville community, you would never have guessed it by her dedication. With Drake’s passing last Thursday, the Greenville community lost a longtime supporter and public servant.

Last July, the Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB) issued a bevy of new regulations on charity poker rooms as the result of an investigation that found several large-scale operations were illegally diverting money away from charities.

With a brightly lit torch leading the way on a cold and cloudy Thursday, runners of the third Law Enforcement Community Torch Run made their way through downtown Greenville to help raise money for Special Olympics.

Law enforcement communities across the state of Michigan are organizing torch runs, which serve as one of multiple fundraisers law enforcement and Special Olympics have teamed up for.

With a goal of raising $20,000 this year, Baldwin Heights Elementary kicked off its Walk-a-Thon fundraiser event Tuesday with a student assembly. With surprise visits from Griff, the Grand Rapids Griffins mascot, and Louie the Laker, the Grand Valley University mascot, Greenville High School football players and members of the Flat River Dance Company, the event was a pep rally of sorts to promote the fundraising event to students.

After three years of planning and several months of construction, a new pavilion at the Eureka Township Hall is nearing completion. “It’s been my dream for three years, said Mark Wilkin, the newly hired zoning administrator. “It’s going to be nice. It’s going to be for the residents.”